Method and device for applying building tape



w. PETTY I 2,366,675

METHOD AND DEVICE FOR APPLYING- BUILDING TAPES Filed July 1, 1943 vices.

A 1 UNITED f STATES PatentedJan. 2, 1945 I METHODYAND DEVICE FOEAPPLYING 1 BUILDING TAPE i Wiley Petty, La Grange Park IllL, assi'gnor to I United States Gypsum" Company, Chicago, 111., a corporationjoflllinois g r Application July l, 1c4spseriainelsaaozzL [s cr a s." n ense This invention relates to a method of cementing and applying building tape andto a device for pract cing such method. One feature of theinvention is the provision ore portable device embodying several desirable characteristics and with which the indicated method may be prac ticed. The invention utilizes certain steps to apply adhesive under a pressure generated by the feed of the tape toits ultimate location. Because the and the same is then pasted over a wallboar'd joint, the adhesive will oozse out through the perforations and be available for leveling off at the outer surfaceof the tape to providea smooth surface for the reception of paint, paperor other i wall decorations.

with beveled or feathered edges in order to pm- This tapei may be provided videasubstantially'invisiblewalljoint.

indicated method is usedjthe devicecfj this invention is capable of containinga fairly large volume of adhesivegor cement therebyto insure the application of a maximum yardage of cemerited building tape without the necessity of 1 replenishing said adhesive. Th tool has a supply of tape associated therewith as will hereafter be described. i u t The device includes a mechanical combination that insures-theapplication.of the cement tothe tape under'constant pressurethis pressure being supplied by the-feed of the tape itself. By utilizing such a method, and apparatus for practicing thesame, a relatively largebodyof adhesive may be initially placed in the device and thereafter utilized infits entirety without the possibility that said adhesive will dry out orvbeoomerunevitably large andsubstantially nonportablelt The herein proposed device utilizes the feedof the tape to keep the adhesive continually under pressure as it isyapplied to the tape and While it may contain asizab1e volume of adhesive, the entire device is easilyportable, being so constructed that theoperato-r can use both; hands to manipulateit. The application of thefad hesive 'tcthe tape is entirely automatic, wherefrom the operator can devote his undivided attention to the disposition of the tape as desired,

The tape which is-applied through the medium of the about-to-be described device may, for -in-- stance, besuchasdescribed in Page and Southwick "Patent No. 2,180,433, issued November 21, 1939. Suchtape is formed of flvariouskinds of fiber i and is provided with a plurality of perforations throughout'the length of-the tape sdthat manyofthe now used cle- The portable device which is her'einafter described includes "aispatula-like device which may beu'tilized in applying the' cemented tape to the wall. These-spatulasmay'beinterchangeable t u t provide means for applying the tape either to flat surfaces or toinner or outerwall corners.

u Other objects and advantages of the invention i will appear from a considerationpf the following detailed specification. H

Accordingly, for awmore complete understand; ing of the inventi mrreference is made to theac-j coihpanying drawinginwhich Figure l-i s a perspective view ofa device ernbodying the hereinafterclaimed *inventionf'the cover thereof beingi shown in open position and Fig. 2 is an elevationalview taken when adhesive is applied to one sideof the-tape partially cutaway so as to revealsubstantiallyall of the working parts of the'device, u i

from the left-hand side ofFigQLand u 1 Figs. 3 and 4 are perspective views of outside and inside .corner trowels, respectively, adapted to be interchangeably associatedwith the straight: f

edge trowel shownin the Fig l device. a

Referringnow to thedrawingjithe device cornprises a substantially quadrantal metalcase it having a rear wall I I, a combined top and-side wall 12, another side wall I3 and a lbottom wall l4. Thelowerleft-hand portion of the quadrantal wall 12 terminates in a straight; portion I5 for purposes hereafter to be described. The side 7 walls 13 and I5 terminate just short of thebdttom wallcl l, thereby to provideslots 13a) and l5a. Hingedly mounted on the front edge of the side wall His 2. door lliof such outline asto form a sealing closurefor thefrontof the :casing 10, edge sealing members I to being formed on said closurelfi. When the door 16 is;closed,thecasihg It comprises a substantiallyfltight enclosureand it is in this casing thatthe body of; adhesivematerial H is contained. I t it :Pivotally mounted at the lower right -handicore ner of the casing 10 is a follower member [8.

which is of; bifurcated construction at itsouter' end (I81; and H311) to provide for certainldesir abl actions hereinafter to be explained. Se

cu i'ed to the ieht-hands deq -t a n W .oe le g a plate I 9 which carries a spindle on which may be mounted a roll of building tape 2|.

A spatula-like member 22 is mounted at the left-hand side of the casing II). This member may be so mounted, by means of a clip 22a, as to be readily removed, thereby to permit spatulas to be interchanged therewith which are individually adapted for troweling tape into place on the outside and inside wall corners. Spatulas adapted for the latter purpose are shown in Figs. 3 and4, respectively.

A door latch l6b of any desired character, exemplarily shown as one having a rolled spring at the latching end, is mountedlon the casing and is adapted to hold the door [6 tightly in enclosing relation with said casing. Handles 23, 24 and are mounted on the top and rear walls of the casing and on the door, respectively, thereby enabling the one operating the portable deand before described in connection with the supplying of adhesive to building tape and thesubsequent application of said adhesived tape to a building wall may be secured with mechanical elements other than those here disclosed. The steps which are hereinabove disclosed constitute What is thought to be an appreciable advance in this art because of the manner in which a relatively large body of adhesive may be portably utilized and the same applied to building tape with the same facility when the body of adhesive is nearly exhausted as when said body is first utilized.

Therefore it is not intended that the description heretofore given of the invention and/or the showing thereof set forth in the drawing is limiting in any respect of the monopoly claimed. It

as a means for insuring a pressure supply of the adhesive to the tape as the latter is directed over a wallboard joint, or other desired wall 10- cation. Accordingly, the tape T from the roll 2| is led through the slot-like aperture l3a and upwardly over the follower l8, then downwardly close to the left-hand side walls I2 and I5 and v out through the aperture I511. The tape then passes under the spatula 22 and thence over the troweling edge of said spatula and upwardly'into applied position at the desired location on the wall. When the follower member I8 is in its extreme right-hand position, i. e., substantially in contact with the wall l3, a body of adhesive I! of maximum volume (substantially filling the interior of the casing I0) can be placed in the taping device.- Parenthetically it will be noted that thefollower I 8 in Fig. 1 is not in such just described position, it having been necessary to show saidfollower in theindicated position in order fully to illustrate the elements in this perspective view. a

After the tape has been drawn out through the aperture I51; and applied to the wall at an initially selected point, the device is moved to cause the outer edge of the spatula 22 totrowel the tape into jointing position as it is unrolled from the roll 2| and fed through the casing l0. As said feeding progressesthe adhesive" His gradually exhausted by being applied to the tape. The tape is kept under constant pressure due to the pulling force exerted by said tape as it passes upwardly over the follower I 8. The pull thus exerted moves the follower l8 around its pivoted mounting and maintains itlin constant pressure applying position with the only free side of the adhesive, it being noted that the bottom M of the casing and the tape at the left-hand side of the casing bound the other two sides of the substantially triangular adhesive body while the front and back lower l8. s It should be understood that the steps hereinis on the contrary intended that all claims hereinafter allowed, whether made initially or to be added (assuming that they are properly supportable by the drawing and/or specification and/or claims originally made herein), shall be the measure of the scope of the invention herein set forth. Accordingly, and with the foregoing in mind, what is claimed as new and is desired to be secured by Letters Patent is (remembering that claims broader than those now included may hereafter be found properly includable herein) 1. In the art of applying adhesive to building tape and thereafter applying said tape to a desired location, the method which comprises caus- 1 in said tape constantly to press against one side of an otherwise confined body of adhesive through the, interposition of a solid pressure applying member and permitting some of the adhesive to be applied to the tape as said pressure is being exerted. v A 2. In connection with a building tape applicator comprising means for holding a supply of tape and for holding an adhesive body wherein a movable member is adapted to follow one unconfined side of said adhesive body'as the latter is ex-f hausted, the method of causing the applied tape to be simultaneously adhesived and to maintain said body under pressure which comprises passing said tape over said movable member to maintain the latter constantly in pressure-developing contact with the adhesive body. 3. A building tape applicator comprising means for supporting building (tape threaded there-. through, means for containing a body of adhe-I sive and means operated by the tension of the tape as it is drawn from said supportingmeans for insurin a pressure supply of adhesive to said tape and for progressivelyconfining the body of adhesive irrespective of the volume of the latter. '4. A building tape applicator comprising means for supporting building tape threaded therethrough, means for containing a body of adhesive and means operated by the tension of, the tape as it is drawn from said supporting means for insuring a pressure supply of adhesive to said tape and for progressively confining the bodyoL adhesive irrespective of the volume of the latter, comprising a member adapted to be forced constantly into contact with the adhesive body. as the tape is progressed to the point of application. 5. A building tape applicator comprising roller means for supporting building tape to be threaded through said applicator, means for containing a body of adhesive and means operated by the ten sion of the tape as it is drawn from said supporting means for insuring a pressure supply of ad-. hesive to said tape andfor progressively confining the body of adhesive irrespective of the volume of the latter,

6. A building tape applicator comprising an adhesive containing chamber, a member situated in said chamber and adapted to be movable con-n adhesive body irstantly into contact with said respective of the size of the latter, and means for holding a tape supply insuch manner that the tape may be drawn intothe chamber then over said memberand thence out of said chamber in joining the outer ends of substantially quadrantal shape and substantially equal in depth to the width of the tape to be applied and having two intersecting flat edge walls and one substantially arcuately shaped wall of the fiat walls, a plate extending from the back of said casing and comsuch direction that said tape is maintained in positive relation with said member to force the latter constantly against one side of the adhesive body as the latter decreases in volume.

7. A building tape applicator comprising an adhesive containingcasing of substantially quadrantal shape, means for supporting atape roll outside of said casing, a fiat pivotally mounted member arranged to swing from one to the other of the fiat sides of said casing, and mean for guiding the tape from said roll into said casing over said member and out of said casing.

prising means for supporting a tape roll outside of said casing, and a flat member pivotally mounted at the intersection of said two flat walls and arranged to swing from one to the other of m said walls with its outer end describing an are near to and substantially parallel with said arcuate wall, said edge walls forming-slots for guiding thetapeifrom said roll into said casing over said pivotally mounted member and out of said casing. e a

WILCY PE'I'TY.

, 3 8. A building tape applicator comprising a cas ing adapted to contain adhesive, said casing being i 

